One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the past year is the importance of knowing my gut.

I used to think "trust your gut" meant listening to that feeling inside of you above all else. I now realize that it is much more important to *know* your gut / yourself.

My golf coach would tell us that the best players don't necessarily have the best swing (although they have great swings). The best player knows exactly where the ball will go. If he or she picks up a 7 iron, the ball will go x far.

Bad players have no idea. They are swinging blindly and hoping it all works out in the end. When shots don't work out, some blame the club, the weather conditions, or plain old luck.

Gut feelings/intuition seem to work the same way for me. Now, I consider whether my "feeling" is more of the uncomfortable side or something deeper. Then, after the experience, I evaluate to see whether I was "right" and I adjust. I now have a better idea of how to analyze my gut for the next situation.